Jerney Jones grew up a Mizzou football fan. Now he’s a Mizzou football player.
Jones has signed to play football at the University of Missouri, accepting a guaranteed walk-on spot for the Tigers as a freshman next season.
“My dad graduated from there. I’ve always been a Mizzou fan. I love Mizzou,” he says. “Academically, I think it’s a great fit for me too. They’ve got one of the top business schools in the nation, which is what I want to do. I think it’s a great fit all around.”
Jones ended his record-breaking career as the best running back in Republic history last season, smashing the marks for rushing yards and touchdowns in a season and in a single game. His seven-touchdown performance against Springfield Glendale was arguably the single best one-game performance in the history of Republic athletics.
” might be the best football player I’ve ever coached, just based on his pure talent and his work ethic. Some of the things he does will amaze you,” says Republic coach Wes Beachler. “When there’s a lot of debate at the state meetings about who’s the top running backs in the state-–only three make first team in the state in Class 5, that’s pretty tough to do––after I spoke, a couple of our opponents stood up and spoke and said he did things on the football field that I’ve never seen. When you’ve got coaches that have been coaching for 20+ years and they say that, it’s pretty impressive.”
Jones says he knows his success in high school won’t necessarily translate to success in college, but he’s dedicated to putting in the work to earn a spot in the lineup on Saturdays for Mizzou.
“First off, I’m just going to have to get in the weight room (and) get bigger, faster, stronger, and then hopefully work my way into a starting position or being a major contributor,” Jones says.
Putting in the work shouldn’t be a problem for Jones. Beachler says Jones is one of the hardest workers he’s ever been around.
“My seventh grader idolizes this young man. He always says, ‘Boy, I hope I have Jerney’s God-given ability,’ and I tell him all the time, ‘More important than that, you need to have Jerney’s work ethic,’” Beachler says. “I think Coach Wolfinbarger said it best this year. He’s probably the most talented kid we have out there, and he’s the one who pays the most attention to detail every day. You ask him to do something, you show him how to do it, and he does it right every time. He doesn’t ever take time off.”